06/09-10   -   Press releases

Local army team’s pink race to beat breast cancer

Budding runner Michael Warke from Tanfield, Stanley has pulled on his running shoes to train for the Bupa Great North Run in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign.

The Warrant Officer based at Barker’s Barracks in Germany and seven of his fellow officers will join 54,000 runners on the starting line for the 13.1 mile race in Newcastle on Sunday 19 September in memory of Michael’s aunt Hilary who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 1991 and to support his mother in law who also had breast cancer but has thankfully responded well to treatment.

Michael said: “Our team is very excited to take on the Great North Run, as supporting breast cancer research is an extremely worthwhile cause. To make it more of a challenge, we’ll be marching in full uniform while carrying 25kg in our backpacks, so I hope lots of people will sponsor us and help Campaign continue funding vital research into this disease which affects too many people."

To help Michael and his team reach their fundraising target of £500 please visit www.justgiving.com/mick-warke and donate what you can.

Last year 300 Campaign runners wore their pink running vests with pride and raised a whopping £160,000 for vital breast cancer research. So if you have your own place in the race and would like to join Michael on Campaign’s team, please call the events team on 020 7749 4114 or email greatnorthrun(AT)breastcancercampaign.org.

All runners who sign up with Campaign will automatically become a member of Linford’s All Stars – an exclusive club captained by Linford Christie, who offers supporters helpful training tips and nutritional advice. Runners will also receive a fundraising pack containing a Breast Cancer Campaign running vest and lots of fundraising ideas.

Notes to editors

• Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure

• Currently it supports 104 research projects, worth over £16.1 million, in 38 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women

• In the UK, nearly 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 125 a day

• Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org.

• Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/.

Louise Garrahan, Media Relations Officer, Breast Cancer Campaign, DD 0207 749 3724